Explosive-engine.



J. 'H. SGHULZE.

- EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

A PPLIGA:TION FILED AUG.12, 1912.

1,692,866. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Lemme.

J. H. SCHULZE.

V EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED AUG. 12, 1012.

Patented Apr-1.14, 1914.

4 SHEETS-MEET 4.

WITNESSES:

IN VE N TOR.

ATTORNEY.

- JOHN H. 'scnonzn, or sr. Louis, MISSOURI.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 12, 1912. Serial N 0. 714,625.

TooZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H, 'SCHULZE, citizen of,the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a 7 full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part hereof.

' y invention has relation to. improvements' in explosive engines; and it consists in thenovel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the engine with parts in section, the cylinder into the space between the pistons; Fig. 2 is a transverse middle longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. '1; Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection on the line 3+3 of 'Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. is

a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fi 2; Fig. 6 is-a detached side elevation of tile, gas-valve; Fig.

7 is an end view of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a detached sideelevation of the valve-casing partly broken; Fig. 9 is a crosssection on the line 9-9 of Fig, 8; Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the parts when the charge is ready to explode; Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the parts when the charge has exploded and the spent gases are discharging through the exhaust-ports, the ports for the fresh charge being still closed;

and Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic CIOSS-SGCUOD;

showing the manner of adjusting the casing to the gas-valve with a view of controlling the volume of gas admitted from the carbureter.

The present invention is specifically di rected to two cycle gas engines and among the objects sought are (1) to produce a maximum piston stroke with a reduced length of crank, and hence with a reduced depth of crank-case; (2) to secure an engine which shall be even running; (3) one which will develop a maximum amount of power and possess a high degree of efiiciency; (4) one which will dispense with conventional valves thus reducing the working parts to a minigrooves 10, 10, formed in the mum; (5) one insuring-a positive action for its several parts; (6) one in which the fresh charge shall assist in the expulsion of the spentgases; (7) one in which the quantity of gas admitted to the cylinder may be carefully regulated; (8) one in which the severalparts are practically devoid of any lost motion; and (9) one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description of the invention which is as follows Referring to the drawings, sent respectively the upper tions of the crank-case bolted or otherwise secured together, there being formed about the joint between the sections, the hollow 1 and 2 reprebosses or bearings 3,- 3, lined with bushings 4, 4, for the support of the crank-shaft S (one or both sections of which may lead and be coupled to suitable transmission gearing not shown) said shaft being provided with a compound crank-arm C, C, C, within the chamber of the crank-case. Supported by, and properly bolted to, the upper crankcase section 1 is the engine-cylinder casting 5 provided where convenient and necessary with air or water-jackets a, and cast to accommodate not only the reciprocating pistons, but the various ports, passages and gas chambers entering into the composition of the engine proper. The cylinder is provided with a depending extension 5 entering the chamber of the upper crank-case section. to afi'ord a maximum length of bearing for the outer hollow piston 6 with which the present engine is equipped. This piston is provided with the oppositely disposed bosses 7, 7, to which are pivotally coupled by means of screw-spindles 8, 8, the adjacent ends of the connecting rods 9, 9, whose'opposite ends are pivotally secured about the wrist pins of the crank-arms C, C. The bosses 7 traverse suitable guide-ways or lower portions of the walls of the cylinder casting as shown to best advantage in Fig. 1, the upper ends of the connecting rods operating in the chambers 0, c, forming extensions of the chamber of the crank-case.

At a given point of the piston 6 is disposed a transverse partition wall 6" (or Patented Apr. 1a, 1914.

and lower 'sec-.

piston head) between which. and the top cover-plate 11 of the engine there is formed in the piston, a chamber 12 which may be termed the vacuum chamber, as it is this chamber into which the carbureter gases are drawn with. the downward reciprocation of the piston. The wall 6 has secured thereto a piston-tube 13 operating through the gland 14 of a stufiing box 15 formedwith the plate 11, the tube 13 housing the spark-plug 16' to which the current is conducted by a wire 10 as fully understood in the art.

Within the hollow piston 6 there operates the inner inverted cup-shaped piston 17 which is properly coupled to, the wrist-pin of the central crank-arm G by means of a connecting rod 18, a construction familiar in the art. The pistons therefore telescope one into the other and from the connections, described, it is obvious that as one piston rises the other will descend, and vice-versa, the piston 17 operating to and from the wall 6' of the outer piston 6, the tube 13 freely operating in the gland 14 with the reciprocations of the outer piston.

The walls of the piston 6 opposite the vacuum chamber are provided with a series of transverse substantially semicircular slots or passage-ways 19 which are disposed across the vertical passages formed between a series of rlbs or partitions 21 (formed in the cylinder casting) engaging the peripheral walls of the pistons 6 and defining the inner limits of a small chamber (Z through which the mixture must first pass before entering the vacuum chamber 12. Access of the mixture to this chamber is had through the two-way rock-valve V operating in a cylindrical valve-casing 22, the latter being provided with longitudinal peripheral slots or passageways s with which (or a portion of which) the passages of the rock-valve are adapted to be brought into communication. The valve-casing 22 is adjust-able rotatably, being mounted in a suitable bearing formed with the cylinder casting (see Fig. 2), one end of the casing being provided with a stem or spindle 23 projecting through and beyond the bearing and terminating in a polygonal or square portion 23 for receiving a wrench socket when occasion arises to rotate the casing. By making the casing 22 rotatable the gas mixture from the carbureter may be partly or wholly cut off, making it possible, where we have a multiple cylinder engine, to cut out any cylinder when not needed. The valve V is provided with a stem 24 extending through the casing 22 and the casing-bearing, in the opposi e direction from the stem 23, said valve-stem being provided with a pinion, 25 which is engaged on the proper side by the toothed or rack-terminal of a valveactuating or shifter bar 26 bent to properly enter the chamber of the crank-case through the top of the section 1 of said case (Fig. 2), the exposed portion of the bar being guided by bearings and brackets 27, 27, on the cylinder casting. The lower vertical straight portion of the shifter bar, or that operating through the crank-case is provided inside the chamber of the crank-case, with a pair of properly spaced lugs or projections 28, 29. between which operates a tappet 30 formed on the inner end of the outer piston 6 (Fig. 2), the tappet in the reciprocations of the piston first striking one lug and then the other and thereby imparting a reciprocating movement to the shifter-bar. This in turn imparts a rocking motion or rotary reciprocation to the valve V as obvious from the rack and pinion connection between these parts.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the passageways of the valve-casing 22 are disposed in the path of the port or passage 72. which communicates directly with the discharge end of the carbureter (not shown) supplyingthe mixture to the engine. One of the passages or slots .9 of the valve-casing 2'2 is normally in free communication with a compression or storage chamber L in which the compressed charge is temporarily confined before entering the space between the wall 6 of the piston 6 and the head of the piston 17. Formed in the cylinder wall opposite the'bottom portion of the chamber L area series of intake ports 31 which are adapted V to be brought into communication with corresponding int-ake ports 32 formed in the walls of-the outer hollow piston 6 (Figs. 2, 4) andwhen these ports are in register, the charge is free to enter the chamber of the hollow piston 6 between the wall 6 and the piston 17 Formed in the walls of the piston 6 adjacent the wall 6 are a series of exhaust ports 33 which discharge into the upper portion of an exhaustchamber E, a corresponding series of'exhaust ports 33 being formed in the outer piston wall and discharging into the lowerportion of said chamber opposite the outlet E. The ports 33 communicate with corresponding ports 34 formed in the cvlinder wall, the height of the ports 33, or the dimension measured in a line parallel to the axis of the cylinder being greater than the height of the ports 34 (so as to overlap the latter when brought into register therewith) and being greater than the height of the ports 31, 32, both of which correspond substantially to the height of the ports 34. .This dimensional relation between the ports is a feature takenadvantage of and brought into service as will be better and fully apparent from a description of the operation of the engine which will presently follow.

- Within the limits of crank-case bearing throughwhich the bar 26 operates, the lat- I ter is provided with two dish-shaped, shallow depressions 35, 35, the distance between whose centers corresponds to the limits of the' stroke of the bar, a spring actuated cupshaped pawl or brake 36 automatically en, tering a depression with each stroke of the bar, the pawl operating in a socket or hollow boss 37 on the casting 1, said socket being in alinement closed bya screw-cap 38 provided with an inner centering stem 39 about which the compression spring 40 is coiled, said spring bearing with one end against the gap and with t e opposite end against the cup or brake 36. 4

The operation may be described as follows :Referring to Figs'. 1 and 2 we can assume that a charge has been exploded in the space between the pistons and has driven the pistonsthe full limit apart. In this expansion or separation of the pistons (as opposed to contraction to differentiate thelr movement toward one another) the tappet 30. (at the end of such separation) struck the upper lug 28 and raised the bar 26, the latter in. turn by its engagement with the pinion 25 on the stem 24 of the valve V having rocked the latter to bring its passage m with two opposite passages s of the casing 22 and opposite the passage h, the valve passage m being out of commission. In the separation of the pistonsthe ports 33, 34, have been brought into registerv to allow for the escape of the spent gases into the exhaust chamber E, and the ports 31, 32 are in register to allow for the inrush of the compressed charge stored in the chamber L, the valve V being so turned as to prevent escape of the charge from the chamber L except by way of the ports 31, 32, into the space between the pistons. As the momentum of the engine continues to rotate the' shaft it is obvious (from the crank connections as described) that the pistons will now be caused to approach one another or contract, the piston 6 descending, and the piston 17 ascending into the chamber of the former. As the piston 6 descends it leaves a vacuum behind it in the chamber 12 and into this vacuum chamber the charge from the carbureter will flow, first through the ports k, m, chamber (Z, ports 20, 19, and finally over the upper edge of the hollow piston (as quite obvious from the diagrammatic view in Fig, 10). As the pistons however, approach one another, the charge which has entered the space between them Fig. 2 remains for the valve-V to the position indicated in Fig. 10. This; not only cuts ofl the flow from the carbureter, but allows the gas from the vacuum chamber with a subsequent expansion of the pistons to rush through the ports m, m, into the storage or compression chamber L. The contracting limit of the pistons having been reached leading to the spar -plug (only a wire w being here conventionally indicated as the wiring is well understood in the art, and forming no part of the ment) are so disposed that the chargeis at this moment fired by the spark plug 16 car ried by the outer piston 6, thus driving the pistons apart and driving the gas into the chamber L. As the pistons approach their out-ward limit (see Fig. 11) the-relatively longer or higher ports 33 will establish communication with the shorter ports 34,1before the relatively shorter intake ports 31, 32, are in register. This allows the majority of the spent gases to escape through the ports 34 into and out of the exhaust chamber E and the port E, enters through the registering ports 31,32, and when these latter ports are finally (at the conclusion of these strokes) in register, the fresh charge entering into the space between the pistons will-drive out the-last vestige of the'spent gases (Fig. 2). This fresh charge'as obvious, enters the space between the pistons from the chamber L into which the charge was driven by the piston 6 from the vacuum chamber 12 during the greater portion of the expanding strokes of the pistons. By the time the piston 6 has completed its upward stroke or reached its full outward or upward limit, the tappet 30 thereof will have struck the lug 28, thereby shifting the bar 26 in the opposite direction and causing the latter to rock the valve V ninety degrees so as to cut off intercommunication between but openingv up the latter chamber to the passage h leading from the carbureter. When that happens afresh charge again enters and is free to flow into the vacuum chamber 12 with the descent of the piston 6. Of course, the position of the parts as shown in Fig. 2 is but temporary, for if it remained for any length of time the fresh charge entering from the chamber L would rush out from between the pistons through the ports 33, 34, into the exhaust chamber E, and outlet E. is reached the momentum of the parts shifts the piston 6 far enough to close the several ports and permit thy pistons to t oroughly compress between them the ch rge reviously partially compressed in the) chamber L. Obviously the position of the arts in a sufiicient periodato allowthe pagtially compressed charge in the electric connections before the fresh charge present improve- I the chambers L and 12,-

' by the successive impacts cally the manner regulate the erationof the engine that tutes the only valve the chamber L to rush through the ports 31, 32, into the hollow piston 6 before the same is cut off by a closing of these ports. It will be seen from the foregoing that an explosion takes place with each revolution of the shaft making the engine a two-cycle one. As the bar 26 is shifted back and forth of the t-appet 30, it is arrested and held against excessive throw by the brake-pawl 36 which bears frictionally against the same under the resilient action of the spring 10.

In Fig. 12 Ihave shown diagrammatiin which the casing 22 be turned or rotatably adjusted to admission of the gas from the carbureter. In this figure the adjustment shows the gas partially cut off. It may of course, be wholly cut elf, an advantage where we have a multiple cylinder engine in which it is desired to cut out one or more cylinders. It will be seen that the member V constimechanism on the engine, so that the possibility of the machine getting out of order is reduced to a minimum.

It will be seen in connection with the opfor the greater portion of the contracting or inward may strokes of the. pistons, the valve V remains" to the source of gas supply or to the carbureter (with nicates), the valve being tripped or rocked to closed position (Fig. 10) at the conclusion of said inward strokes. 1Vhen so closed, the valve is open to the chamber L, allowing the gas to be forced with the major portion of the expanding or outward strokes from the vacuum chamber '12 into the chamber Ii. As such outward strokes begin to reach their limit, and just as the ports 31, 32, are being brought into register (the spent gases having in the main escaped through the ports 33, 34) the valve V is rocked to open position, (Fig. 11 showing such valve not quite fully open because ports 31, 32, are not yet in register, but shown fully open in Fig. 2, where these ports are in register) in which position the valve allows the gases to a ain enter the chamber 12 with the contraction of the pistons, the

gas which had entered the space between the the chamber of the outer hollow piston 6.

. directions,

the a L before it was released In effect too, it may be said that the charge enters the cylinder between the pistons, the ported walls of the outer hollow piston serving as valves for controlling the influx into, and efilux of the gases out of, said cylinder.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s 1. In an engine of the character described,

a cylinder, a pair of pistons disposed about the axis of the cylinder and reciprocating simultaneously in opposite directions, a shaft, intermediate connections between the shaft and pistons, a vacuuin chamber contiguous to one of the pistons, a valve-controlled storage chamber interposed between said chamber and the space between the pistons for conducting the gases from said chamber into said space with a movement of the respective pistons in a given direction, and for cutting off said communication and exposing the vacuum chamber to a suitable source of gas supply with a movement of the pistons in the opposite direction.

2. In an explosive engine, a cylinder, a pair of pistons disposed about the axis of the cylinder and reciprocating simultaneously in opposite directions, a compounderank shaft coupled to said pistons a vacuum chamber contiguous to one of the pistons, a storage chamber, means .for directing the gases-from the vacuum chamber to the storage chamber for the major portion of the strokes of the pistons in given and from said storage chamber into the space between the pistons for the balance of the aforesaidstrokesand for cutting off the last mentioned communication for the major portion 'of the strokes of the respective pistons in the opposite directions and at the same time exposing the vacuum chamber to a suit-able source of gas supply and closing communication between sai vacuum chamber and storage chamber, and at the conclusion of such last named strokes restoring communication between the vacuum and storage chambers, and cutting ofi the flow from the supplysource.

3. In an explosive engine, a cylinder, a pair of pistons in said cylinder reciprocating to and from each other. one of the pistons being hollow and enveloping the other piston, a crank-shaft coupled to the pistons,

a vacuum chamber contiguous to the hollow I piston, a gas-storage chamber adjacent the cylinder, the walls of the cylinder opposite said chamber and the walls of the hollow piston being provided with intake ports,

adapted to register for admitting the gas from the storage chamber into the hollow piston, the walls of the cylinder and of the hollow piston being provided on either side of the gas intake ports with registrable exhaust ports, a valve having passage ways for alternately establishing communication between the vacuum and storage chambers, and between the vacuum chamber and a suitable source of gas supply, and means controlled by the pistons for actuating the valve. I

4. In an explosive engine, a cylinder, a

pairof pistons in said cylinder simultane- .being formed in the cylinder walls and walls of the hollow piston on either side of the gas ports, said exhaust ports having a relative overlap whereby" the spent gases may discharge before the gas ports are brought into complete register, a valve having passage-ways for alternately establishing communication between the vacuum and storage chambers, and between the vacuum chamber and a suitable source of gas supply, and means controlled by one of the pistons for actuating the valve.

5. In an explosive engine, a cylinder, a pair of pistons in said cylinder simultanej ously reciprocating in opposite directions,

one of the pistons being hollow and enveloping the opposite piston, a shaft coupled to the pistons, a vacuum chamber contiguous to the terminal of the hollow piston, a gasstorage chamber formed about the cylinder walls and provided with gas ports registrable with corresponding ports formed in the hollow piston walls, suitable exhaust ports registrable with one another being formed in the cylinder walls and walls of the hollow piston on either side of the gas ports, a rock-valve having passage-ways for alternately establishing communication between the vacuum and storage chambers, and between the vacuum chamber and a suitable source of gas supply, a reciprocating shifter bar for actuating the valve, and a tappet on the hollow piston for operating the shifter-bar.

6. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a pair of oppositely reciprocating pistons, a vacuum chamber, a storage chamber for the gas, a valve positioned to successively establish communication between the vacuumchamber and a suitable source of gas supply, andbetween the vacuum and storage chambers, depending on the relative positions of the pistons, and means disposed about the valve for cutting off the gas supply thereto. 1

i In an engine of the character described,

a cylinder, a pair of reciprocating pistons, a

storage chambers, depending on the relative positions of the pistons, and means disposed about the valve for cutting off the gas supply thereto. a

8. In an engine of the character described, a crank-case, a cylinder casting mounted thereon, a shaft having crank-arms extending in opposite directions within the chamber of the crank-case, a pair of oppositely reciprocating pistons in the cylinder, one of said pistons being hollow and receiving the opposite piston, bosses on the hollow piston, suitable ways formed in the, cylinder casting for guiding said bosses, connecting rods leading fromthe bosses and from the inner piston to their respective crank-arms, a vacuum chamber beyond the hollow piston, a gas storage chamber formed about the cylinder, a rock-valve positioned to alternately establish communication between the vacuum chamber and a suitable source of gas supply, and between the vacuum and storage chambers, a shifter-bar operating through the crank-case and engaging the roclcvalve, a tappet at the end of the hollow piston within the chamber of the crankcase, and suitable formations on the shifterbar adapted to be successively impinged by the tappet, the walls of the cylinder opposite the storage chamber, and contiguous to the head of the hollow piston and adjacent the head of the inner piston, and the corresponding walls of the hollow piston being provided with registrable intake and ex haust ports respectively, as set forth.

9. In an engine of the character described,

a cylinder, a hollow piston therefor provided with a transverse partition or piston head at a point removed from one end of the piston, a vacuum chamber beyond said p'artition, the walls of the piston being provided with a series of passage-ways disposed in planes transverse to the cylinder axis, a series of passages formed in the cylinder walls and intersecting the piston passageways aforesaid, a chamber contiguous to the cylinder passage-Ways, and a'valve controlling the admission of the gases to said chamber.

10. In an engine of the character described, a reciprocating piston, a vacuum chamber adjacent to one end thereof, a spark-plug leading from the piston inside the vacuum chamber, a tube coupled to the piston and surrounding the plug, and a stufling-box on a stationary part of the engine for receiving said tube.

11. In an engine of the character d scribed, a cylinder, a pair of reciprocating pistons, a vacuum chamber, a storage chamber for the gas, a rotary valve positioned to successively establish communication between the vacuum chamber and a suitable source of gas supply, and between the vacuum and storage chambers, depending on therelative positions of the pistons, and a rotary casing for the valve provided with passage-ways for regulating the gas supply to 10 said valve. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN H. SOHULZE. 

